464 (burch-Hifloryt of Bi/hops, fee your Mailer, and hewill pay you your wages contrary to your expeéia- tion. Read Godsword to aMalignant, Ass 13. to. ro. Thefe Enemies do reproach as faithful a Miniftry as the world en- joyeth, and their malice bath fo little footing, as that the refultmufi be their own flame. Among the Papifis indeed there are Mafs-Priefts that can but read a Mafs, whofeOffice is to turn a piece of bread into a God : And yet there the Malignants either let alone, or liken us to them. The Greeks, and Ethiopians, and moll of the Chriftian World, have a Miniftry that feldomeornever preach to them, but readCommon prayer, and Homi- lies. The molt of the Protettant Churches have a learnedMinifiry that is fo taken up with Controverfies, that they are much lefs in the powerful preaching and prac`tifeof godlinefst Above. all Nations under Heaven, the Engléfh are let upon Practical Divinityand Holinefs, and yet even they are by Malignity chofen out for reproach. Alas, fcandals in the Miniliry, (as drunkennefs, fwearing, &c.) among other Nations are but too common: but in EnglandMagitlrates and Minitierscombine againft them. Minifers are full (purring on theMagiftrates to cati out theinfufTicient, negligent and fcandalous ; and defire and ufe more feveritywith menof their own profeffion, than with Magifirates, or any others in the Land, In nothing are they more zealous, than to fweep out all the remnant of the fcandalous And fenthemfelves, they are devoted to the work of the Lord, and think nothing too much that they are able to perform, but preach in feafon and out of feafon, with all long- fuffering and Dotrine t and yet Malignants make them their reproach. r r . It is abundance of pride and impudency, that there Malignant Ene- mies are guilty of. They are moll of them perlons of lamentable igno- rances and yet theydare revileat the Teachers, and think themfelves wife enough to rebuke and teach them : Many of them are men of wicked lives; and yet they can tell the world how bad the Minitiers are. A Rai- ler, a Drunkard, a covetous Worldling, an ignorantSot, is the likefi perfon to fall upon "theMinifler 5 and the Owl will call the Lark a Night - bird. Alas when we come to try them, what darkwretches do we find them ! and should be glad if they were but teachable : And yet they have learnt. the Devils fîrft Lefíon, to defpile their Teachers. 12." And Owhat barbarous ingratitude are thefeMalignant Enemies of the Minifiryguilty of! For whom do we watch, but for them and others? Can they be foblind asto think a pait,ful Minifter dothmake it his defign to leekhimfelf, or to look after great matters in the world ? Would not the time, and labour, and colt that they are at in the Schools and Univerfties, have fitted them for a more gainful trade ? Donot Lawyers, Phyfitians, &c. live afareafier, and in the world a more honourable plentiful life? Have not the Mindlers themfelves been the principallnftruments of taking down Bithops, Deans and Chapters, Arch - deacons, Prebends, and all means of preferment ? And what have they got by it, or ever endeavoured? Speak malice, and (pare not. Is it any thing but what they had before? Even the maintenance
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